Light side of the moon

There will be literally thousands upon thousands of proud Teessiders glued to their TVs tonight with fingers tightly crossed that local hero Stewart Downing steps up from the bench and strides out down that left wing for England.

There will be literally thousands upon thousands of proud Teessiders glued to their TVs tonight with fingers tightly crossed that local hero Stewart Downing steps up from the bench and strides out down that left wing for England.

What a fantastic experience it will be for Stewart just being a part of the full squad, but so much better to actually pick up that first England cap.

Having watched him star for the youth team and then the reserves, we can share in some small part with that triumph.

All that is except for my match day mate.

He has been haunted by the prospect that Stewart Downing would one day reach the full England side ever since so-called friends taunted him with the possibility years ago.

You see when the North Stand chants "there's only one Stewart Downing," it is little consolation to my mate that he spells his name Stuart? Downing. Oops!

Anyway, I'm sure even Stuart will be cheering on our Stewart tonight.

After all he's almost family.

This has to be another measure of the progress of Middlesbrough as a club and a nursery of top talent.

A first England cap for a homegrown lad; it's certainly a rare item.

I'm thinking back to Gary Pallister and David Armstrong, two players who were stars in Boro teams stuffed to the gills with local talent.

Injuries have opened the door for many of our Academy youngsters this season and they have seized the opportunity.

You have to wonder now though whether other Academy starlets like McMahon, Morrison or Parnaby might one day progress as far as Stewart Downing.

I also wonder how many youngsters missed out in the years between Pallister and Downing because successive managers were too cautious to trust in Boro's youth.

As far as we are concerned the sooner UEFA bring in those home grown player quotas the better.

ROBERT NICHOLS is editor of the Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon, which is on sale before all Boro home games. The fanzine also has its own website, which can be found at: www.fmttm.com